Tracing the growth of Dhofar Global as it celebrates its 10th Anniversary

It is all about creating a happier – and definitely cleaner – environment. This is the mantra that has ruled Dhofar Global since it started its operations in 2007 in a bid to become the regional leader in providing hygiene and lifestyle solutions across the Middle East. From its humble beginning of five employees, Dhofar Global has since grown to more than 300 staff, with a fleet of over 150 trucks, and sustaining at least 7,000 direct customers.

Sanitation and cleanliness is a vital health concern across the region. As people and goods’ movements become ever more global and highly transitory, the growth and spread of disease-causing bacteria have also become global, which affects people’s lifestyles – be it in food safety or even toilet hygiene. These practices are essential for survival, and Dhofar Global has made it its mission to provide the finest international quality products capable of meeting the demand for a safe and clean environment.

Chandan Singh, CEO of Dhofar Global, says, “It is really our customers who have been the essential players that have brought the company to where it is now. Our growth process has had its ups and downs, and we’ve encountered difficulties along the way, but their dedication and appreciation for our products have kept us going and pushed us to keep innovating and finding better solutions. We find new inspirations to create healthy and sustainable brands because they value the need to use quality and environmentally-friendly choices. Our customers have also been very active in supporting our award-winning campaigns throughout the years.” He adds, “Achieving the best quality hygiene solutions is not possible without the support of the employees and the suppliers, who are essentially our partners at every step of the company’s growth, guided by our management through their strong mentorship and leadership.”

Tracing back

During the first year of its operations, Dhofar Global had just 15 customers and two trucks to help run the business. The hospitality industry is a key client for the company; the Rotana group of hotels was its first major client, and the company subsequently expanded into catering, facilities management, fine dining, aviation, automotive, fitness, and government organisations, amongst others.

Currently operating in the UAE, Qatar, and Oman, the company continues to grow with representative offices already in place in the Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles. It looks to further expand its facilities to cover the entire GCC by 2020. “Our vision is to grow across the Middle East, and we look to set up operations in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in the coming years,” added Singh. Dhofar Global has also ventured into a partnership with German brand Kleen Purgatis, a leading provider of premium cleaning, maintenance, and disinfection products. To reduce its carbon footprint, the company pioneered the CutBack initiative - a product sustainability project that has modified its organic tissue paper dispenser to dispense only one pre-perforated tissue at a time, thereby reducing customers’ consumption by 22 per cent. The company also introduced food contact recycled products as another sustainable innovation that was a first in the history of the paper industry.

To make hygiene systems more effective, the company also created a colour-coding mechanism called ‘Color Magnet’, which helps customers designate a coloured tissue paper according to usage areas. The product innovation was conceptualised and patented by Dhofar Global following extensive scientific research.

Awards and accolades

In terms of corporate social responsibility, Dhofar Global actively supports various awareness campaigns on healthcare issues such as breast cancer and colorectal cancer in association with Zulekha Hospital. It has partnered with various associations including the Mawaheb for Beautiful People, Al Rashid Centre for the Disabled, Ramadan Charity Initiative and the Bangladeshi Flood Support Victim on various relevant causes.

With massive efforts to raise product standards and improve all areas of its operations, Dhofar Global has become a regional market leader, earning accolades not only from the region, but from international organisations. It has received the Bizz Award from Monaco, the Global Award for Perfection, Quality and Ideal Performance, as well as the Platinum Technology Award for Quality and Best Trade from Italy, Star of Business Award from the UAE, and the regional Arab Investment Award for three years in a row since 2011.

The company rebranded in 2016, and has since carried the tagline ‘Happier Environment,’ which it can only achieve by honouring its values of innovativeness, transparency, fairness, professionalism, as symbolically represented by the four leaves visible in the company’s logo. “Values are important to our growth because they are the pillars that keep the company standing and strong, ensuring that our environmental and productivity goals are never compromised. As a pioneering brand, we continue to look for ways to add value to our products through research and innovation, while ensuring that our products have minimal impact on the environment and further sustain and protect nature’s gifts to mankind,” Singh concluded.

CASE STUDY

Location: Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi Located in one of Abu Dhabi’s premier locations, the iconic Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi is famous for its traditional Arabian hospitality, luxury and comfort. It boasts of 565 stunning and posh rooms, suites and serviced apartments with waterside or city views – all of which are furnished to the highest standards. The luxurious 5-star Beach Rotana offers an unparalleled guest experience with state-of-theart facilities and bespoke, unrivaled services.

Viewed under this perspective, Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi has moved to adopt more eco-friendly products and solutions. Specifically, around 10 years ago, the hotel aimed to help save more trees by embarking on a quest to find recycled tissue papers and reduce its consumption within its property. Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi also sought for highquality tissue papers that would not leave lint on its crockery when used.

The strategy

Not settling for any poor quality and substandard product, the company tapped Dhofar Global, a leading supplier of hygiene products in the Middle East, as its top choice and partner. Eventually, Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi used tissue papers from Dhofar Global at its14 kitchens with at least four dispensers each, and has continued to do so in the past 10 years! “Their specifications were a perfect fit for our requirements,” said Moin. And this marked the start of their longstanding partnership.

“The company is known not only for its safe and highquality hygiene solutions but, more importantly, for being environment-friendly. We are highly impressed by the fact that Dhofar Global uses eco-friendly materials to manufacture its tissue papers and designs them in such a way that will reduce consumption. Our shared environmental priority has made Dhofar Global our top choice.”

The outcome

The management of Beach Rotana reported considerable reduction of tissue consumption in its kitchens and high consciousness amongst kitchen staff about their usage of tissue papers. Overall, not only are the hotel’s kitchens clean but the hotel is also helping save the environment through the use of the highly cost-efficient tissue papers.

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

“I decided to approach Dhofar Global as I required products such as Maxi roll, gloves, hairnets and cleaning products. Prior to sourcing products from Dhofar Global, I was facing issues in terms of quality and cost. I trust and highly recommend the company as they never fail to meet our needs promptly and at the highest levels of quality and value for money. Using Dhofar Global’s services has enabled us to enhance our customer satisfaction. The positive attitude of the members of the sales and customer support teams was purely unique, leaving a great impact on us. In terms of service delivery, Dhofar Global’s approach conforms to the highest levels of excellence, surpassing its competitors tenfold. It is an ongoing pleasure to be working with the team, and we know we can count on them for immediate resolutions to any challenges we face. We have truly enjoyed working with them as business partners and team members.”

“As a healthcare facility, hygiene and cleanliness is a priority for Belhoul European Hospital. It is not only about curtailing infection but also about promoting good hygiene as a healthy way of life. Although several tissue dispensers were installed throughout the hospital, including wash rooms, laboratories, and waiting areas, we were not satisfied with the quality of the dispensers and the tissue papers. Inferior-quality dispensers required frequent replacement and low-standard tissue paper meant high consumption, which is unfavourable for our reputation. We received positive reviews about Dhofar Global’s hygiene solutions from our sister concern about their excellent products and after-sales service. We approached the company with our concerns and received an immediate response from their team. We are extremely satisfied with the highly efficient, economical and stylish tissue dispensers provided by Dhofar Global for high-capacity dispensing suitable for our hospital. In addition, the premium-quality tissue paper is soft, highly absorbent, and does not leave lint behind. With the use of the new products, our consumption of tissue papers has been reduced significantly, and at the same time, we have received positive feedback from our customers. The overall experience of dealing with the Dhofar Global team was pleasant, and we would recommend them to others.”

Chaudhary Awais,
Project Manager, Emirates Model Building Maintenance

“During the mobilisation of our high-end projects in Abu Dhabi back in 2009, we made the decision to approach Dhofar Global because we required quality hygiene products such as facial tissues, toilet rolls, air fresheners and tissue dispensers for our prestigious and potential clients. Prior to this we were facing issues with quality, quantity, and delayed deliveries. Since we began using Dhofar Global’s services, we no longer face quantity issues, and all our requirements are met in a timely manner; we have experienced no delays in deliveries and are extremely satisfied with the quality of the products provided to us. Dhofar Global has delivered with outstanding results, even on short notice. The company pays the utmost attention to quality assurance, sustainability and customer services. Their management team is committed and always approachable. They have proved their ability and willingness to deliver at any required time, and possess in-depth knowledge of their range of products, making our job easier when approached by clients. Words are not enough to express my satisfaction on how proficient and knowledgeable they are with the needs and demands of the industry. On behalf of Emirates Model Building Maintenance, we highly recommend Dhofar Global as a reliable business partner to any company that requires high quality and efficient hygiene products. Over all, Dhofar Global has allowed us to get an edge over our competition and ultimately go above and beyond our customer expectations.”